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Raleigh, N.C. — At today’s funding levels, it would take the City of Raleigh 50 years to pave every one of its streets. Without additional funding, the city’s roadways will decline and cost the city more in the future.

Ideally, streets should be resurfaced every 12 to 18 years, but historically, city budgets around the country tend to downplay maintenance costs.

Raleigh is no different.

The city is required to maintain 1,055 miles of streets. At current funding levels, the city can only resurface these streets once every 50 years.

Of course, high-trafficked streets and thoroughfares get a fresh coat of asphalt sooner than that, but Public Works Director Carl Dawson said some of Raleigh’s residential culs-de-sac haven’t been touched in 30 years.

Street maintenance is part of the Transportation Field Services budget, which comes in at about $12.3 million. This budget also includes stormwater utility maintenance.

The city spends about $3 million a year on asphalt pavement maintenance, which includes milling, patching and installing wheelchair-accessible ramps. That does not include $5 million this year from 2011 transportation bond money.

In order to get to a 12- to 18-year schedule, the city would have to kick up the spending to about $12 million a year.

PseudonymAug 23, 2013

Put tolls on all major roads including Glenwood Ave, Capital Blvd, Wake Forest Rd/Falls of Neuse Rd, and the Beltline. That'll fix it!

ConservativeVoterAug 22, 2013

The answer is not to raise taxes, the answer is to lower spending.

ConservativeVoterAug 22, 2013

Raleigh needs to spend the money on needs including road, street, and infrastructure maintenance instead of touchy feely liberal feel good programs including the arts, a restaurant downtown, the convention center boondoggle, the under utilized bus system, and affordable housing.

sweetlyghtAug 22, 2013

Forget the funds, with the rate it's been raining I'd be suprised if they could keep UP with paving the roads. (I'm joking a bit here, but I'm sure the rain is slowing them down.)

supermanAug 22, 2013

Seems to me that they have more than enough money keep spending on parks. They have the money--just a question of how they spend it. They dont care about roads just more and bigger parks that drain the budget year after year.

workingforthosethatwontAug 21, 2013

tax tax tax, it sounds like a broken record. sad thing is they aren't using the money to keep good employees with benefits

meeperAug 21, 2013

I was in upstate New York this week and they have the same problem there. Toll roads,everywhere and terrible roads. Also, outrageous taxes. It's because liberals eventually run out of other people's money and something has to give, like roads.

smcallahAug 21, 2013

"Gov Perdue stole the DOT funds as well as the Lottery funds...she just gave away over a million dollars in her re-election funds...hummmmmmmmmm.. Now on the speaking trail making thousands for each speech...."

What's that got to do with the roads that the City of Raleigh has to repave. The DOT isn't part of Raleigh government.

smcallahAug 21, 2013

"Has Sandy Forks been repaved since it was built. Someone needs to be fired for allowing that street to remain open in it's current condition. It is criminal!"

Sandy Forks is on the list to be widened and repaved soon.

Save ItAug 21, 2013

"IN order words actually try something different than the failed decades of Democrat actions".

This state was not perceived by the entire nation as failing two years ago. The failing part is a brand new eyesore for NC.